IDRIS looked to have it all to do with a 6lb Group penalty in Saturday's Group Three Meld Stakes but when the chips are down this extraordinarily tough and consistent six-year-old invariably digs deep.
In beating the three years younger Predappio and the English-trained duo Song Of Tara and Prince Of Andros, he has now captured three Group Three events among his 10 successes, gained equally between the Curragh and Leopardstown.
In a true run race, the Kevin Manning-partnered Idris eventually got a clear passage on the rails and in a few strides collared the disputing English challengers to win by three-parts of a length from the lightly raced Predappio who stayed on stoutly.
There may be a Group Two in store for Jim Bolger's charge before he takes up stud duties for his owner Michael H Keogh.
Catch The Blues responded under pressure well inside the distance to win the Rockingham Handicap under top weight from Slayjay and Don't Care. Badly drawn at Royal Ascot where she, nonetheless, ran a fine race to finish second in the Cork And Orrery Stakes, the winner thus completed a double for the in-form Aidan O'Brien-Christy Roche partnership, initiated by Melleray in the opener.
O'Brien's Killarney winner and bottom weight, Best Before Dawn, started favourite but reared up in the stalls and dwelling, lost considerable ground. Catch The Blues will next run in the Group Three Phoenix Sprint at Leopardstown on August 11th. It seems that O'Brien will have runners in virtually every race at Galway this week.
Dancing Fred, a much improved colt, led well inside the distance to beat the penalised Golden Pages Handicap winner, Graduated, in the Los Angeles Handicap. Dermot Weld's winner has run his last race in Ireland but will be in his charge for the Grade One Secretariat Stakes at Chicago on Sunday, August 25th which is his next race before he continues his racing career in Canada where his owner Frank Stronach resides.
August 25th is also the date for the Weld-trained Definite Article who runs in Chicago's Arlington Million. However, the Tattersalls Gold Cup winner may first contest a Group One at Munich next Sunday.
In winning the Barcelona Maiden Melleray improved significantly from her initial run at Leopardstown in March when, starting favourite, she finished third behind Without Doubt who was subsequently only fifth at the Curragh.
However, Melleray's trainer Aidan O'Brien said she had grown and matured since Leopardstown. This big, well made Danehill filly was shaken up by Christy Roche to the furlong pole, and soon clear beat the Jim Bolger-trained newcomer, Bold Hunter by two and a half lengths.
Mrs John Magnier's Melleray may be supplemented for the Heinz 57 Phoenix Stakes but she does return for the valuable Tattersalls Breeders Stakes at the end of August, a race O'Brien won last year with No Animosity and in fact also trained the runner-up, Troysend, as well as the fourth and fifth home.
Also bound for the Tattersalls is Mrs Tony O'Reilly's long striding Gunfire who under Pat Smullen won the Atlanta Race just as convincingly. Declan Gillespie's charge who led to the final furlong and had no difficulty in holding the challenging Churchland was previously short-headed by the highly regarded Beautiful Fire over this course and distance.
